LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Awarded $10 Million COBRE Grant

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans has been awarded $10,058,325 in funding over five years by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the National Institutes of Health. This Center of Biological Research Excellence (COBRE) grant funds cardiovascular research projects and provides mentoring to junior faculty enabling them to successfully compete nationally for research funding. The biosciences are a primary area of focus, along with digital media and the arts, for the Downtown Development District’s Industries of the Mind initiative.

“Downtown is the heart of the fledgling bio-medical industry, and this $10 million grant will foster its growth,” said DDD President & CEO Kurt Weigle. “The New Orleans Biosciences Initiative envisions globally competitive research and new entrepreneurial companies that will anchor a vibrant urban community at the region’s core. As we grow the industry, there will be a recession-resilient knowledge base that continues to create new jobs and wealth for the entire community.”...read more.

Citizen Participation Summit Downtown This Weekend

Tonight, Friday, July 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and tomorrow, Saturday, July 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., New Orleans residents are invited to join the movement to create New Orleans' first Citizen Participation Process at the Pan American Life Conference Center at 601 Poydras Street.

Many cities across the US and in other countries have a legal mechanism for neighborhoods to have critical input into City government decisions. Over the last three years, New Orleans has had unprecedented engagement from our citizens--CPP is a way to make sure this engagement is supported and maintained for years to come. This Summit will provide the tools to bring this concept to the whole city. Come learn and be part of this important effort.

Participation is free. For more information, contact Khalil Tian Shahyd at (504) 259-1673.

On July 24-25, CEOs for Cities and Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals (YURP) will host the Urban Next Summit in Downtown New Orleans, bringing together many young people from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about rebuilding an American city in a more equitable way. By creating coalitions of talented young people in the private and public sector who are able to work together, New Orleans is engaging urban enthusiasts in the rebuilding process.

Ted Featherstone, Economic Development Coordinator for the DDD, explains, "Perhaps the brightest of the silver linings to emerge from Katrina is the vanguard of young, intelligent, socially-minded professionals that have come to New Orleans to aid in the city’s rebuilding. The more that we learn about how economic and cultural development is the result of the agglomeration and interplay of creative, energetic minds, the more we realize that attracting and retaining these talented individuals is among the greatest opportunities to ever present itself to New Orleans. Downtown New Orleans is privileged to be the host of the Urban Next Summit and we know that the discussions facilitated there will be an important step toward making New Orleans a new epicenter for the “creative class”.

The Urban Next Summit is a special opportunity to join the national conversation on cities and to hear from and meet distinguished speakers and panelists on topics such as attraction and retention of talent, creating a culture of opportunity and idea generation surrounding current urban challenges and opportunities.

For more information or to register for the conference, click here.

Participate in Mobility and Parking Study Online

Click here to participate in the study.

The Downtown Development District of New Orleans is conducting an online survey to gather information on the mobility and parking needs in and around Downtown New Orleans. Residents, business owners, locals, visitors, and workers are all asked to participate in the survey.

The survey seeks input on parking, modes of transportation, walking and bicycling conditions, and related mobility issues. It is an important component of the DDD's Mobility and Parking Study that will supplement information gained through a series of focus groups held in June. The study area includes all of Downtown, including the Warehouse Arts District, Lafayette Square, the Central Business District, and the Medical District. The study area also includes the French Quarter and the Marigny Triangle... read more .